IIRC below 30mph is classed as 'urban mode' where the right headlight moves further right and down across the other lane for better visibility of the other lane in built up areas

Above 30mph you will see the right beam pull back to the left away from the oncoming traffic, more like a conventional beam, then the left/right turning beams will work more like you expect.

The germans seem to think that below 30mph you MUST be in town, as the the auto main beam assist will not allow maiin beam below 30mph, also it will dip if you drop below 30mph, even if you are braking towards a tight bend in the pitch black!!

As said, you need to go out on a dark unlit country road to try it (with lots of bends prefereably) town is no good. Out of town they are great, a bit disconceting at first when you turn in to a bend and the lights beams move round it makes you think that the back of the car is sliding round!!

Also don't forget the footpath lights (inner headlamps) where one will come on as you slow and put and indicator on (or pull up and begin to turn) lighting the footpath and verge in the direction you are turning in.

The germans seem to think that below 30mph you MUST be in town, as the the auto main beam assist will not allow maiin beam below 30mph, also it will dip if you drop below 30mph, even if you are heading towards a tight bend in the pitch black!!

Mine don't. I live down a twisty single-track road where you can't go much above 10 - 15 mph and the HBA is still quite happy. I think there may have been a software alteration for the F series.

Having said that, if they dip when approaching a very tight bend in pitch black, as you say, perhaps there's something wrong with yours because such an operation would be friggin' stupid and quite dangerous. My HBA definitely does not do that.

I thought that at first, but it's in the manual for the E91, mines an early 2009, so maybe old software now?

But it says HBA will only work above 30mph. Tested it will not raise HB until you exceed 30, and it dips it at about 25 regardless.

Even you if you keep above 25/30mph, it often sees reflections from big chevron signs dead ahead (i.e. REALLY sharp bends) as oncoming lights and dips. Great on winding passes! not.

Not to mention it takes about 1/2 to 1 second or so to put main beam back on after passing a car, leaving you blind in the interim, thinking come on, come on, COME ON...... that's a long time, I usually chicken out and pull the stalk mysef..

Yes - definitely a change. A mate has an E60 and he complained about the reflections from chevrons and said it made HBA pretty useless as far as he was concerned but when he went out in mine he said the difference was "night and day" (no pun intended) and it also switches very quickly.

Yes - definitely a change. A mate has an E60 and he complained about the reflections from chevrons and said it made HBA pretty useless as far as he was concerned but when he went out in mine he said the difference was "night and day" (no pun intended) and it also switches very quickly.

A change for the better then
My LCi was pretty good at picking up reflective signs and dipping the lights.
I agree that they are slow to go back to Main beam too.
Don't recall mine going to dip below 30mph though.

What about oncoming cars, Mine waits until they are in view before dipping, so you dazzle them momentarily.

It's quick but obviously doesn't anticipate as well as a human but of course you can always override it. Generally it works very well - the most impressive thing is its ability to spot tail-lights of cars you come up behind which emit no real light to speak of, half a mile away, but it still dips. Must use a near IR sensor I guess.

That's assuming you have HBA (High beam Assistant) which is separate from adaptive lights per se but is combined when purchased as the visibility pack. In other words, it's possible (but unlikely) to have adaptive lights without HBA.

That's assuming you have HBA (High beam Assistant) which is separate from adaptive lights per se but is combined when purchased as the visibility pack. In other words, it's possible (but unlikely) to have adaptive lights without HBA.

You'll have two push buttons on the left-hand stalk, one for BC (onBoard Computer) and one for HBA which is a main-beam symbol with an "A" in it. When it's active you see a green main-beam symbol with an "A" in it on your dash, as DB says.

Not sure what it was spec'd with but I definately have the lights that go on and off on the inside when indicating at low speeds and y main lights move with the steering. I do have a lights menu in the iDrive as that is where I can turn the driving lights on and off and it has something about "comfort" setting but I don't know what that is either